Undiveable river: let's hear your ideas!

[MountainMan304]

I posted once about a river near my home that is entirely undiveable--or only safe for trained search and recovery divers. There's a ton of boat traffic, a decent current, and very little visibility. Some people suggested getting a long clam rake and going out on a boat to scrape the bottom. I plan on trying that come spring, but here are some details because I can't find a clam rake that's long enough or somebody who welds. Let me know your ideas!


The gage depth varies between 8 to 15 ft. The brightest idea would be to go after a long dry spell, no? There's also the question of where to look. The river is probably a quarter-mile wide and another river flows into it. That other river, let's call it River B, used to have the first city dump on its banks. What didn't burn got thrown into the river back then. All along both rivers, residents would throw their trash into the water before public sanitation, so it's likely that there's 10-15 miles of river that could have some treasure. Where should I focus my attention? At the confluence of the two rivers? At the deepest point of the river? How much do bottles move beneath the water? I'm not sure of the composition of the riverbed, unfortunately, so I can't take that into consideration; I do believe it's muddy/silty though. And the flow is 16-50 kcfs.

Thanks in advance

 

[JerryN]

The problem is the current. You are not going to be able to swim against it and it can drag you into entanglements. If you go with it the silt will make it impossible to see. There is also the issue of turning your head and having the current rip your mask off. That said, a strong current like that will push bottles downstream, so look for a calm corner of the river where they might have been deposited. Good luck and be safe

 

[Roy]

I posted once about a river near my home that is entirely undiveable--or only safe for trained search and recovery divers. There's a ton of boat traffic, a decent current, and very little visibility. Some people suggested getting a long clam rake and going out on a boat to scrape the bottom. I plan on trying that come spring, but here are some details because I can't find a clam rake that's long enough or somebody who welds. Let me know your ideas!


The gage depth varies between 8 to 15 ft. The brightest idea would be to go after a long dry spell, no? There's also the question of where to look. The river is probably a quarter-mile wide and another river flows into it. That other river, let's call it River B, used to have the first city dump on its banks. What didn't burn got thrown into the river back then. All along both rivers, residents would throw their trash into the water before public sanitation, so it's likely that there's 10-15 miles of river that could have some treasure. Where should I focus my attention? At the confluence of the two rivers? At the deepest point of the river? How much do bottles move beneath the water? I'm not sure of the composition of the riverbed, unfortunately, so I can't take that into consideration; I do believe it's muddy/silty though. And the flow is 16-50 kcfs.

Thanks in

I posted once about a river near my home that is entirely undiveable--or only safe for trained search and recovery divers. There's a ton of boat traffic, a decent current, and very little visibility. Some people suggested getting a long clam rake and going out on a boat to scrape the bottom. I plan on trying that come spring, but here are some details because I can't find a clam rake that's long enough or somebody who welds. Let me know your ideas!


The gage depth varies between 8 to 15 ft. The brightest idea would be to go after a long dry spell, no? There's also the question of where to look. The river is probably a quarter-mile wide and another river flows into it. That other river, let's call it River B, used to have the first city dump on its banks. What didn't burn got thrown into the river back then. All along both rivers, residents would throw their trash into the water before public sanitation, so it's likely that there's 10-15 miles of river that could have some treasure. Where should I focus my attention? At the confluence of the two rivers? At the deepest point of the river? How much do bottles move beneath the water? I'm not sure of the composition of the riverbed, unfortunately, so I can't take that into consideration; I do believe it's muddy/silty though. And the flow is 16-50 kcfs.

Thanks in advance

Hello MountainMan304,
I have never tried digging in a river but I will offer my thoughts anyway. I have a potato rake that you can get in any good hardware store . It has about a 5 foot handle. I would get a good pair of waders and try my luck from wherever you can get to fairly easily.
Might consider taking a partner just to be on the safe side, never know what you might step on in a place like that.
Roy

 

[MountainMan304]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately it's consistently too deep to wade and in an urban center. I'll look for a calmer area where they might have settled, wasn't sure of how they might get tossed around in there. It's a large river, definitely not walkable.

 

[Newtothiss]

Go out in a boat, drop a DIY rig and drag it from shore?

 

[MountainMan304]

Go out in a boat, drop a DIY rig and drag it from shore?

Possibly, that's a good idea. The problem is if it hits a snag, but I'll cross that bridge once I get to it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Newtothiss]

DIY rig would have to be seriously strong material(s) then (heavy wire?), and the line pulling it.
If possible, a winch would be preferable as well..

 

[willong]

MountainMan304, how high is your budget and credit rating?

 

[willong]

MountainMan304, how high is your budget and credit rating?

Too much?

Perhaps this alternative...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1699007-REG/chasing_cm2fp_100_m2_underwater_rov_kit.html

...is a better fit?

 

[Roy]

Too much?

Perhaps this alternative...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1699007-REG/chasing_cm2fp_100_m2_underwater_rov_kit.html

...is a better fit?

MountainMan304, how high is your budget and credit rating?

Let us know when you get yours!!!
Roy